The Lonely Souls: no remedy for memory
by romeparistokyo
Summary: HIATUS. Klaus takes Caroline on a beautiful journey around the world and she falls in love with him more than ever before. Then, unexpectedly, he takes all of her memories away. She comes back to Mystic Falls. Her memory, however, comes crushing back in her dreams and she decides to do everything to find a man she dreams of. Rated M because I'm not sure.
1. Prologue

Alone. All of her senses gathered in this one, little word. Touch, focusing her attention on the cold edge she was holding on to. Hearing, filling her head with the terrifying cacophony of the street noise and people's shout. Sight, that was blinding her this time, showing her visions she didn't dare to dream even in the worst of her nights. Taste of blood on her tongue. Awful smell was taking her breath away.

Alone. She was all alone in this.

Suddenly, she turned around as she heard the soft rustle of someone's steps behind her back. She felt like a blind, but, unfortunately, her eyes were still seeing everything. She squinted them, trying to notice through blood and tears, who was getting closer and closer to her.

'Hello, Caroline'. That voice was horrifying, despite its melodiousness and paradoxical warmth gushing from it. Once it was probably a magnificent music, a never ending melody. Surely someone was crying to hear it. With that voice you cold easily convince someone to live in one of the infernal circles and dissuade them from regretting that decision. Someone could die for that voice.

'What else can you possibly want from me?', Caroline asked her interlocutor, not able to look her in the eyes. 'I don't have anything anymore'

'Ah, yes. I wouldn't be so sure about that', she sighed. Care could feel her breath on her neck. Damn it, that psycho was standing closer than she expected. However, before she got used to this thought, the girl moved away a bit. She was looking at the star-studded sky now, her long curls were now splaying her back. They were shining in the reddish light of the street light. They looked like a fire, like they were burning.

'You see…', she continued, putting her hair on her shoulder, 'There is still him'

The impulsive interlocutor knew that she didn't have to mention his name. Out of the corner of her eye she could see how Caroline's face was changing under the blood. How her muscles were flexing, her look was getting harder. She didn't have enough power to fight for herself – she was standing on the edge, the metaphorical and the real one. Checkmated by her biggest enemy, she couldn't even hope to be saved by someone.

But, somehow, she was able to think about saving him. The last person who would actually deserve that.

'I don't even know, where he is', lied Caroline, trying to play indifferent. She knew that she wouldn't fool anyone, though.

'Oh, you don't?', her overdramatic enemy came so close that Caroline could feel her cold breath on her face and Care's eyes didn't have another choice but to look into hers.

'You're lying, lying, lying, lying… Over and over again. Isn't it boring to you?' The rhetoric of this question was just overwhelming.

'Well, I have the last task for you, love'

'What now?'

On the gloomy psycho's lips danced a delicate, innocent smile.


	2. Stranger

_chapter first_

stranger

_Everything about her is weird. New. Strange. It's like someone erased her all, not only her few sins. She spends days standing near the window, staring into emptiness. She starts at the sound of the opening door. It's like she was still waiting. She smiles sometimes, you know. After all, it's still her. I feel like she doesn't want me to worry but damn, I'm slowly freaking out. _

Tyler closed his laptop aggressively and hid his face in his hands. He felt strange, writing down all of it. Like he was reporting a disease or something. But she wasn't ill. Not anymore.

He turned around to look at her. There she was, standing, as beautiful as nothing else in the world. In that moment he could swear that in his entire life he's never seen her more marvelous. She was standing in front of a mirror. She wasn't staring at her reflection, though. She was trying to fasten her necklece. Her hands wouldn't let her do it, they were shaking. Frustrated, she threw the locket away.

'God, I'm so useless lately', she joked, trying to sound happily. Tyler bended to pick the necklace that rolled down his feet.

'You know, you don't have to go there if you don't want to. I'm sure Matt will understand that'

Caroline looked at him with her how-can-you-even-think-about-it look and he almost believed that she was herself again.

'Are you kidding me? Of course I will go there. I organized it myself and I look forward to see it. This is gonna be the best wedding in the history of world'

'Yeah, of course', confirmed Tyler as he stood behind her with the necklace in his hands.

'Don't you regret it sometimes?', she asked after a while. Tyler looked up and their eyes finally met in the mirror's sheet.

'Regret what?'

'That we can't move on. That we're kind of stuck. It's been fifteen years, Ty. Fifteen years and nothing has changed.'

'Everything's changed, Care. Except this. Except us. We're together and we will always be together. And you know, what's the best part of it? That we will never loose each other'

Tyler touched her cheek fleetingly.

'You know, it's just like… Sometimes I feel like somebody took my future away. It's… You get it, right? Everything around me is beautiful, isn't it?'

'Sure it is'

'So why do I feel that someday it just won't be enough for me?'

Tyler looked down and bit his lip. He felt her piercing look on his face but he knew that if he looked back, all his guilt and shame would probably eat him alive.

'Don't be so sad. After all, it's a wedding, right?', he said instead.

Caroline nodded her head.

'Let's just go already', she laughed and clasped his hand tightly.

The ballroom in which the wedding was taking a place was spacious and bright. Stars' light was falling into it through the giant windows, making a golden brightness of hanging on the ceiling chandeliers a little pale. Everything was decorated with flowers. Flowers were literally everywhere. Their fragrance was almost intoxicating.

There were a lot of guests. Most of them were Matt's mates from collage. Caroline didn't know them at all but some of her old friends were also invited so she decided to hold on to that for the rest of the evening.

Next to the bowl with the punch was standing Damon Salvatore. A little drunk already, even though the night was still young. He was trying to charm a few naïve ladies with his beautiful, blue eyes. He haven't changed at all. Caroline still felt an urge to hit him so hard that his sarcastic, little smile would flew down his face along with his blood. But she couldn't make any scenes on a wedding, could she?

Elena and Stefan were talking to the bridegroom. They were holding hands. He looked exactly like Caroline remembered. His hair was done perfectly, his suit made him look like he just came out from some magazine's cover. You could see the passage of time on Elena's face, though. Obviously, she was still beautiful, but looked a little older than her date. She never decided to become a vampire. It was kind of a untypical choice, especially while she was dating one.

There were also Bonnie. Her hair was short now, barely reaching her shoulders. She grew up. Caroline glanced at her reflection in the mirror hanging right in front of her and she sighed. She was looking more like Elena's or Bonnie's daughter than like their best friend.

'The way you've prepared all of this makes me wanna propose to you, right here, right now', said Tyler with laughter, still admiring the ballroom's decorations. Caroline giggled at him and kissed him.

'So do it'

'I can't, you would totally overshadow the bride', he murmured as he put his hand on her cheek. Care grasped it and clasped it.

'Maybe she would handle it somehow'

'I don't think so'

'Do it, Tyler'

Caroline looked him in the eyes. All of sudden her vision started to blur and her boyfriend's dark eyes started to shine, to sparkle until they flashed with a pure blue, like two lakes in the sunshine.

_ It was so cold and dark around. She couldn't see any star on the sky but there was like a million of them in his eyes. _

_ 'I'm scared', she whispered as she looked at her companion. His face was fading in the darkness so she couldn't really see it. Only his eyes – shining, even though there was no light inside them. They were young and old at the same time, like they've already seen everything that world has to show. _

_ 'And you shouldn't be. You're safe with me. It's kind of a unique privilege', he said with a little smile. _

_Caroline looked down and sighed. _

_ 'They'll think that I betrayed them. You know, it's not like I've ever happened to run away home with a serial killer or something before' _

_Her companion laughed. His laughter, as usual, lasted only for a while. Then it just stopped, leaving traces in his eyes. _

_ 'Yeah, I guess that's what I am for you. I'm just a serial killer' _

_ 'You're not', Caroline answered immediately and she regretted it at once. 'I mean, don't get angry, of course you are. Just… not only' _

_She noticed that he was looking at her with some kind of amusement, maybe even with a pity. _

_ 'Nevermind. Let's just go, Klaus. Let's get on some plane, maybe they'll even give us seats far away from each other and…' _

_ 'Nik', he interrupted her as he opened the car's door for her gallantly. _

_ 'What?', she asked and she rolled her eyes. _

_ 'Call me Nik', he repeated. He sounded pretty serious. _

_ 'Ok… So let's just go, Nik' _

_Caroline tasted that word. She knew that she's just crossed some line. And that it would kill her, kill her, kill her. It would kill her some day. But she couldn't care less. _

'Care? Care, are you ok?'. That voice was familiar and it was struggling right to her through that vision she's just seen. Caroline blinked her eyes. The person standing in front of her was, obviously, Tyler. He was holding her tight. She felt a strange cold inside her. It was freezing her veins, she was totally overcome by it.

'You've almost fallen and…', started Tyler but she didn't let him finish.

'I'm just starving. Is there a table for vampires or…'

Her boyfriend looked at her carefully. Something was wrong. And even when Caroline was laughing with Elena and Bonnie, he could still see that.

Something went wrong. Maybe even worse than he expected.

**So this is the first chapter (: I hope you'll like it and let me know if you do. If anything's wrong here, feel free to let me know. I can't wait to write more! Forgive me that there's so much of Forwood here - it won't last for long, I swear. More Klaroline is coming (hopefully, not only in my fanfic but maybe also in TVD). **

**my blog: .com **

**Lots of love. **


	3. Dark paradise

_chapter second_

dark paradise

Caroline was standing right next to the bar and watching Tyler. It was almost midnight. She couldn't believe they've been here for a good few hours now. For her, it's been like a few seconds. And this was probably what the vampires feel like all the time. Their every day has a meaning of a second. They have so much of them.

'Here you are! I've been trying to get to you all evening', said someone behind Caroline's back. On her lips danced a little smile.

'Stefan. I wouldn't honestly mind you calling to me more often' , she said as she looked at him.

'Well, I didn't feel like it lately. I didn't know how you deal with…', he didn't finish. It was like he suddenly reminded himself of something. 'You know. With everything'

It sounded a little weird but Caroline decided not to seek after the truth.

'So you and Elena. So good that you've finally dissuaded her from that… from Damon'

'Would you mind if I cut in?', asked Tyler as he came to Caroline. 'Sorry, dude. I didn't really have a chance to dance with some avoiding me all evening blonde'

Caroline rolled her eyes and sighed.

'Yeah, um, sure. I should probably go find Elena', Stefan threw in and smiled at Caroline. 'If you ever needed something, call me. Just not like for the past fifteen years, you know. I might finally change my number'

Caroline nodded her head and looked up at Tyler.

'Kind of rude cutting off little talks with old friends'

'Kind of rude flirting with old friends when your boyfriend's watching'

'Well, maybe it's a good time for me to find a new model. You know, the un-jealous, tall and blonde. The type of a guy who would kiss me at midnight at someone else's wedding', continued Caroline with a pensiveness.

'Hey, I don't work that badly', protested Tyler as he let her make a pirouette and then pulled her closer. 'Don't be too fast with that shopping, Care'

'And you better be fast with that kiss', she whispered as he looked him in the eyes. 'Or I'll go shopping right now. You know, I bet there are some shops still open somewhere. I'm thinking, maybe in Rome… Paris… Maybe in Tokyo…'

_'I'll take you. Wherever you want. Rome, Paris… Tokyo…?'_

Those words crashed in her head, she even thought that she was still looking inside those blue eyes. She looked up at Tyler but he didn't seem to notice the confusion at her face. His lips were almost resting at hers… And then she just pushed him away.

The clock hit midnight.

Hunger. It had to be hunger, there was no other option. She was just hungry and in desperate need of somebody tasty to eat. She ran away from the ballroom full of people hoping that fresh air would sober her up a bit. The fever didn't stop though, it was still burning in her veins, turning her humanity into dust. Caroline has become a living fire.

That was totally new, more intense than anything else. Care has never felt this way before. She ran away from the garden, straight to the woods. The branches were whipping her face, blinding her. After a while she didn't even run anymore. She was crawling.

Caroline never considered herself as a monster. Actually, being an unwelcome effect of the perennial war made her something important. Someone to care about, someone treated very serious. She wasn't a sweet, girly little Care anymore. But she wasn't also bad.

Or maybe she was. Maybe it only took one evening to turn into a monster. One step ahead, one blink of an eye. One shallow breath. And then you loose it all. You loose control.

Loosing control is something beautiful. Regaining it again, that's what is horrible.

Caroline felt someone's touch on her hands. She put them up to watch them and found out that someone was standing right in front of her.

'Hungry?', the stranger whispered, smiling at her.

'Like never before', replied Care. Those words were more quiet than a whisper, they were like a thought. She watched the stranger exposing his neck for her. He grabbed her hand and put it where the blood was pulsing.

'I've never…', she started but she didn't dare to take her hand back.

'Well, I guess there is a first time for everything, isn't it?'

He didn't stop smiling.

'You're a vampire, Caroline', he reminded her. She twitched at the sound of her name. 'It's now stronger than ever, isn't it?'

She felt his heart beating in the rhythm of hers. His blood pulsing under her fingertips. Her breath was faltering, then it paused entirely. The silence stopped as she put her lips on his neck and sank her fangs in his blood.

It was the most intensive experience in her entire life. There was nothing but this. His soft kisses on her neck, the taste of his blood on her tongue… And that feeling of power burning inside of her, like she did have this power on him at some point. Like she was still having control. But she must have been stupid, thinking about him this way. After all, that was what she loved about him the most – that he was totally out of control. He had no conscience, he was able to kill without blinking. Someone else's life meant less than nothing to him, even though he valued his own over anything else. He would sacrifice the whole world in order not to make it stop. He would sacrifice h e r.

She pushed him away rapidly. The blood was streaming down her chin. She opened her mouth with the aim of saying something… And then she noticed that there was no h i m. That vampire she was sharing blood with less than a minute ago? He didn't exist. Perhaps he was dead. Just like the group of people whose bodies were sprawling all around her.

Caroline heard the piercing scream getting through the dark of night. Her own scream.

'Oh, stop shouting'

She turned around but she fell silent obediently.

'Who are you?', she asked with a weak voice, trying to remove the blood from her face.

'It doesn't matter, Caroline. I just had to find you, to check how are you… You know, all this sentimental crap', the unknown girl seemed to be very bored. 'But I see you're doing very well'

'What do you want?'

The blonde girl shrugged her shoulders and she came closer to Caroline. She grabbed her throat with her fingers and she raised her up easily, like she was raising up little kitten.

'You really don't remember anything, do you?'

The girl's cold glance was terrifying. Just like her voice – calm and cool, with some foreign accent.

'What should I remember?', wheezed Caroline. Her eyes lighted up with tears.

'All this truth or dare is making me tired', sighed the stranger as she pushed Care away. When she fell on the ground, the unknown vampire bended down next to her and looked her in the eyes attentively.

'So tell me, darling… Is everything okay with you?', she asked and she smiled softly.

'Nope'

The stranger's face lightened with some new emotion but Caroline couldn't recognize it.

'Something's wrong?'. The unknown girl was clearly seeking after the truth. She was speaking with a hypnotic tone, like she was trying to compel Caroline. And that's exactly how she felt. Compelled.

'The visions. I'm loosing control'

'What do you mean: visions?'

'I see this vampire… I have no idea who he is… At the beginning, there were only dreams, now it's becoming real… Nobody knows about it'

The stranger shook her head.

'That's impossible'

She lifted up and stood there for a while, like she was getting through to something.

'Wait, do you know anything about it?', asked Caroline. Her voice turned into a pure invocation.

'Nik won't be happy', whispered that girl. She was still staring into emptiness.

'Hey, did you say Nik?', Caroline asked as she lifted up rapidly.

But the stranger was gone by then.

Caroline entered home all jittery and in tears. Tyler still wasn't there. She could bet that he was on the wedding, wondering why did she just run away from him.

Well, good luck with that. She couldn't figure herself out and she highly doubted if he would be able to.

Care walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. She looked horrible. A few unruly wisps fell out of her bun and they were know hanging from her head inertly, glued together with blood. The same blood was clotting on her lips, still warm. Caroline's pink dress was all covered in it. She touched her face. That reflection couldn't be hers.

Her fingertips stroked fleetingly that spot on her neck where she still felt his kisses. She closed her eyes, trying to remind herself that vision, that dream. _It's now stronger than ever, isn't it?_

It was a nightmare but she didn't want to wake up from it.

She let her eyelids drop and the tears finally streamed down her face. She was holding them inside all night.

She barely heard the door opening.

**So here's the next chapter. I want to thank everyone who follows my story, it means a lot. Your reviews make me want to write, write, write and never stop writing (; I don't know what I'll do when the school starts, think I'm going to lock myself in the closet with my laptop and Word and never get out of there. **

**If you like the story, please comment and follow, you can also messege me on tumblr.  
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**Lots of love, xxx**


	4. Oh, sweet loneliness

_chapter third _

oh, sweet loneliness

Rebekah drove into the driveway of her brother's gloomy mansion, once again wondering how much she hated it. The sun seemed not to shine exactly on that one patch of the ground where this little palace was built. How tragic.

She get out the car and her heel sank in the mud. She cursed under her breath as she tried to pull it out. Was it really that hard for Nik to compell some gardener to take care of this marsh?

After few arduous attempts at saving her expensive heels from the depths of muddy puddle, Rebekah had to finally deal with the fact that her shoe was utterly lost. She sighed deeply and hobbled along the garden towards the front door. The first thing that struck her was the odour of blood and women's perfume, with a hint of alcohol. Normally it would make her feel sick but she's already got used to her brother's new lifestyle. She held her breath histrionically and walked straight into the room where Nik was spending most of his time.

It was in a total mess. The curtains she hang there carefully right before she left were already tattered and bloodstained. Actually, the only sunshine was falling into the salon through the holes in the laces. It was lightening the bodies of those cute, naïve little ladies that were still alive before Rebekah went to Mystic Falls. Nik never really had enough patience for those girls. He usually used to play with them all night, then he sucked their blood until they died and after that he left their bodies on the floor, right where they dropped. He was still expecting Rebekah to clean up all his messes and even though it was annoying her to death, she agreed to it. Lately she's managed to muster up a little sympathy for Nik although she didn't remember if he's ever felt sorry for her.

Rebekah turned off the music of the questionable quality that has already managed to blow her head and looked at her brother angrily.

He was sitting comfortably on his antique sofa. Of course, he was drunk. Lately he's been binge drinking, straight from the bottle. His clothes were all bloodstained. So was his face. His hair was a little too long and unkempt. He was still wearing the smell of his latest victims on his skin. It was hard for Rebekah to appraise his look. On one hand he could really terrify someone. The blood was contrasting to the whiteness of his shirt and to almost unhealthy pallor of his face. On the other hand, there was something in him that could really touch somebody's heart. Despite all that dirt and mess he seemed to be more _pure. _ Sad. Like all of the bloody traces didn't appear on his body as a result of his ruthless murders. Like they were coming straight from his hurt soul.

'Really, Nik. You should definitely let some fresh air in here sometimes', groaned Rebekah as she drew apart the laces with a theatrical gesture. Klaus didn't even look at her, too occupied with sketching something. Actually, not _something._ She knew whose face was his brother drawing perfectly. The one she saw in concert, less than few hours ago.

'I saw your lovely girl' threw in Rebekah as she turned around to her brother. His face lightened immediately but the look on it didn't change at all. It was still gloomy and bored.

'How is she?', he asked. His voice was hoarse, like he's done nothing but stood there and screamed for the last few hours.

'Are you sure you've erased her memory completely?', asked Rebekah, staring at him carefully.

'Of course I am. Are you really stupid enough to think that I would still be sitting here if she remembered me?', he answered with ironic smile on his face. He was so subdued though that his insolence wasn't able to hurt Rebekah even a little.

'Well, she claims that she's seeing you, Nik. She has no idea who you are but she dreams of you. Actually, I was witnessing one of those dreams'

Rebekah was talking slowly, analyzing his every, even the smallest reaction. She needed to know if her brother was still hidden somewhere inside this zombie.

'That's impossible', Klaus said simply as he lifted up and hobbled along the room towards his wardrobe. He pulled the clean shirt out of it and put it on. The dirty one he just threw straight into Rebekah's hands, clearly expecting her to get rid of it. And normally she would do it but this time something inside of her broke.

'I'm so done with you, Nik. All this time, I've been there for you. I kept burning the bodies of those naive ladies you keep inviting here. I was chasing those stupid werewolves so you could create more hybrids. I came to Mystic Falls even though I hate that hole just to check out how is your blonde girlfriend and look what I get in return! Just more dirties to clean up. Tell me… Have you really given up?'

Rebekah came closer to him and looked into his cold, unreadable eyes. There was no feeling inside of them, no expression. Even when he smiled they were still filled with emptiness.

'Oh, I haven't given up, Rebekah. But I fancy watching you coming here over and over again. Watching you become even more pathetic than you already are', said Klaus cruelly and he returned to his drawings. She just shook her head, not able to believe what she's just heard.

'You are right. You are right, it is pathetic – looking after you even after all of this. But that's what family does, Nik. It keeps you from spinning off the edge', she said and she smiled. 'You know, it's so dark in here. Let's let some light in, shall we?'

Rebekah grabbed the curtains and tore them off the rails. Then she carefully broke all the windows, throwing the empty bottles at them.

'Well, now that's more I like it', she muttered as she looked at her brother. 'Have a nice day, Nik'

'You owe me new panes, Rebekah!', shouted Klaus as he followed her to the door.

'What are you going to do about Caroline's visions?', asked Bekah, putting on her new shoes.

'I'm going to Mystic Falls to check it out myself'

Rebekah smiled.

'Good luck with that'

Then she latched the door.

The ringing phone burst on Tyler's thoughts. He grabbed it without checking who was calling him. Part of him was hoping that it was Caroline. He haven't heard from her since she left him alone on Matt's wedding and he was seriously starting to worry.

'Caroline? Where…', he asked as he picked up the phone.

'Well, as far as I know she's supposed to be safe and happy at your side'

Tyler felt the sweat streaming down his back.

'Klaus', he whispered, closing his eyes.

'I'm calling from the airport. I'm on my way to Mystic Falls right now and I'm more than pleased to inform you that if I see that you let somebody harm a hair on Caroline's head you will get seriously hurt. And since you don't seem to have any family or friends left, you are the one I'm going to kill this time'

Tyler could literally hear Klaus smiling.

'She's fine', he hissed. Suddenly he found it hard to breathe.

'Is she? Then tell me, why are you picking up accidental phone call hoping to hear her? Have you… lost her or something?'

'You were supposed to forget about her. That was the part of the deal', reminded him Tyler, clenching his fists.

'Okay then. You have twelve more hours to find Caroline and to make sure that she's safe and happy'

'Twelve hours?'

'It should be enough for you, considering your strong belief that she's just fine. If I come to Mystic Falls and she won't be there with you, then… Well, I will have to remind you the second part of our deal. You know, how they say… _Bonne chance, _Tyler. See you soon'

**Here's my third chapter. Thank you so much for reading it, it really means a lot (: I hope you enjoyed it. If you did (or even if you didn't) please, leave a review. It would be nice to know what you think about it. There was no Klaroline this time (and for that I'm so, so sorry) but the fourth chapter will be just filled with their sadness and beauty. **

**xxx**


	5. Flames to dust

_chapter fourth _

flames to dust

'Oh my God, this is exactly what I needed', exclaimed Caroline as she finished her drink. Elena smiled at her.

'That's what I thought. You know, when I saw you running away in Cinderella's style at midnight…'

'Yeah, and you rushed to help me along with your boyfriend's awesome car just in case my carriage changed into a pumpkin', finished Caroline and she pealed with laughter. Elena started to laugh too.

'I am totally wasted!', she squealed and she smiled at the bartender. 'Another drink, please!'

'I guess it's not too educational', he threw in, staring at Caroline suspiciously. She just rolled her eyes.

'She's not my mother, you idiot. She's my best friend, she's smoking hot and you will gladly serve her another drink because that's exactly what they pay you for', said Caroline with her sweetest voice. The guy just stood there for a while with a dumb look in his face, just like compelled people usually do and then he started to prepare another drink for Elena.

'People think I'm your mother', she groaned as she hid her face in her hands.

'Well, I don't know if that was supposed to insult me or you', sighed Caroline. 'But hey, since when do we care about what morons say?'

'You think I should ask Stefan to do it?', asked Elena suddenly, staring at her friend intensively. Care bit her lip.

'If you're asking me if you should ask the love of your love, your soulmate to change you into a vampire so you could spend eternity together, then… yes. I'm all in', answered Caroline, trying to sound seriously. However, she was way to drunk for that so she added:

'Just… decide on it when you're still young and pretty and stuff. In fifteen years from now you may get wrinkles. And wrinkles?So not sexy'

'God, I've missed you so much, Care', confessed Elena as she pulled her in for a hug. Caroline hugged her back and closed her eyes.

_'Now how did I know I'd find you right here?' _

_Caroline smiled gently and she shook her head. _

_'I told you that I wanted to be alone. Don't get me wrong, after all you've been pretty tolerable lately' _

_'Pretty tolerable?', he repeated as he stood closer to her. Caroline sent him a long stare. Her eyes stopped at the height of his lips. _

_ 'Maybe a little more than just _pretty_', she answered, smiling at the ground. _

_'You miss home, don't you?' _

_Care turned back towards the lake she was standing near to. She was now staring at the water, watching sun beams dancing on it. There were pink petals of the cherry tree's blossoms lifting at its silvery sheet. Everything here was beautiful and magic. Cozy but completely different from everything she knew. _

_ Care moved forward and stopped at the little bridge in the middle of the lake. Her fingertips were touching the texture of its barriers. There was some inscription graven in the cherry wood. Japanese woodcut didn't tell her much, though. _

_ 'People are not what they seem', she heard her companion's voice right behind her back. _

_ 'What?', she asked, turning back to see him. He was standing much closer than she thought. He immersed his hand in her hear and pull out of it a peal of cherry's blossom that must have weaved there before. _

_ 'Old, Japanese proverb. I've graved it here years ago' , he explained as he smiled widely. He was still holding that peal in his hand. _

_ 'So now you also know Japanese?'_

_ 'I've learnt a few things over last thousand years' _

_Caroline laughed and shook her head. _

_ 'Does it never get boring, Nik?', she asked, looking straight into his blue eyes._

_'Even eternity is too short with a right companion by your side'_

_ 'Yeah, you're probably right', said Care. She picked a cherry's blossom from a tree and she threw it into the lake. Then she just watched it lifting at its silver sheet for a short while and moved towards the house where they were staying. _

Caroline opened her eyes and gently pushed Elena away.

'Something's wrong?', she asked. Care just shrugged her shoulders.

'My phone is calling. It's probably Tyler and I probably should answer it'

She pulled out her cell but Elena grabbed it quickly and declined the call.

'No, no, no! Girls' night out, remember?'

'I do. Girls' night out and good, old times. It's kind of hard for me, looking at this that way, you know? I killed people in that wood, my boyfriend has no idea where the hell am I and…', she stopped as she felt the tears filling her eyes.

'And?'

'Do you know why did I run away at the first place?'

Elena nodded her head.

'I'm lying to him, E. I mean… I feel like I was lying to him. Every time I close my eyes, I see someone else'

'Someone else?'

Caroline sighed, realizing that she's already said too much.

'Never mind. I should probably go'

_Care? We need to talk. I'm worried about you. You weren't home when I came back. Please call me._

_Caroline, what happened? Why aren't you answering? Call me back, I'm begging you. I'm going crazy here._

_Hey, it's me again. I'm sorry if I riled you with something. We can talk about it when you come back. But come back, please, just come back._

_Caroline, it's me, Tyler. Where the hell are you?_

Caroline gave up listening to other twenty messages and rested her head against the pane. She couldn't just come back to Tyler. She couldn't come back to him like this. Wasted, just cleaned up from some innocent people blood, not sure if she was even in love with him.

Caroline put her headphones on and she clicked _shuffle_ on her ipod. Lately it was her way of solving problems. Some people toss a coin, others play in counting-out and she just listened to a random song and wondered what to do.

She heard a quiet melody of _All Good Things Come To An End. _She still couldn't just delete it from her ipod, even though she never listened to it and she stopped liking it years ago. It reminded her good memories from times when she put stories about vampires between fairytales. Caroline wanted to switch the song over when she heard: _but really life is dandy, _ _we are what we don't see, we miss everything daydreaming... _

Yeah, life was dandy. Life with Tyler. All that sweetness she loved and adored. The one she wanted to give up, high on dreams that would never come true. Suddenly it became absurd to her.

She put a key in the ignition and she started the car.

He didn't have much time left and Klaus could be there sooner than he said. Tyler had no idea where he was. He told him to stay away from Mystic Falls and from this country. To stay somewhere where Caroline would never find him so he could never break her again.

Tyler was bustling around the house and rummaging in old stuff. He was trying to make himself busy. Then the thought about getting killed by Klaus was becoming more tolerable. He knew what would happen to Caroline after his death. Klaus would find her and turn her into his little china doll again.

Ty pulled another box out of his closet. There were some old albums and photos in it. And an envelope. Addressed to Caroline Forbes with a neat handwriting. Sent by Klaus.

According to their deal, Tyler had to hand it over to her. He could never do it, though. He wanted to read it a few times but he was too afraid to face the words written in that letter. Everything related to Klaus was making him sick. When Caroline came back home, he could barely touch her because he felt Klaus' smell on her skin. Tyler touched an envelope fleetingly with the object of opening it when he heard someone's steps behind his back.

'Hey, Ty. I got all your messages. I really didn't mean to worry you, I was just with Elena and…'

'Caroline! I almost lost my mind'

Tyler hugged her tightly .

'Oh, I wouldn't want you to', she answered as she smiled at him. 'So, what with my kiss?'

Klaus perfectly knew where Tyler lived. He designed this house himself. It was supposed to remind all the houses in which he was staying with Caroline. It was supposed to be spacious, with huge windows. The type of house Care was dreaming of.

He was approaching it slowly, delighting in the foretaste of death of that pathetic hybrid who thought that he could actually take her away from him. However, the closer Klaus was, the weaker was that taste.

And then he heard it. He heard her laugh.

Klaus stopped. Through the pane of a huge window he could see them. See Caroline and Tyler. They were kissing. He was telling her something between every kiss and she was hooting with laughter each time she heard him. And she looked at him the way she would never dare to look at Klaus.

He stood there for a while, watching them. Then she closed his eyes and let all his loss flew down his heart, to the place where he would never find it. He closed his eyes and everything blurred and disappeared in dark.

_'I think I'm gonna go back to my room', said Caroline as she combed her blonde curls with her fingers. The sun has already gone down completely. Her skin had the same pale color as the moon._

_ 'Allow me see you home'_

_He reached his hand out and she grabbed it. She didn't roll her eyes as she used to. _

_ 'I never answered your question', she said when they were already standing at her door. Klaus felt her look on his face and his eyes had to finally look into hers. _

_ 'You asked me if I miss home', she reminded. 'You know, maybe it is weird and bad and I know that I absolutely shouldn't say that but no. I don't miss home. And what I'm gonna say now… It's just another thing on the long list of things that are weird and bad and the things I absolutely shouldn't say'_

_Klaus looked at her lips. He knew what she was going to say and he would carry out her request immediately but he wanted to hear it first._

_ 'Kiss me, Nik'_

_And then he pulled her in and he kissed her. Everything else disappeared, there were only them, standing on the border of everything that Caroline considered as _good _and _bad _so far. On the border she shouldn't cross, to say anything about ruining. But nothing ever tasted better than this. And she knew that she was making out with a devil but that was also the very first time when she felt that she didn't miss what she left behind. And the fire of the bridges she burnt wasn't hurting her anymore._

_ She separated their lips for a while, wanting to confess it to him. But he just kissed her again. Gently and for the last time._

_ 'Goodnight, Caroline'_

_ 'Wait… You're leaving after one, little kiss?'_

_ 'Come on, love, we both know that that was all you wanted to give me tonight'_

_ 'You could make me do anything'_

_ 'Oh, I could compell you to be mine. But I never have and I never will. You see, Caroline… I want to have you in the truest way I can. And I'm patient. It's something I've learnt over last thousand years. I've already waited for a long time for a few of my dreams to come true. I figured I can wait for this one as well'_

Klaus opened his eyes and when he did, he wasn't feeling anything anymore. He looked at Tyler and Caroline for the last time. Then he turned around and disappeared in the darkness.

**This is the longest chapter I've written so far but I hope you enjoyed it (: As I promised, there was much more Klaroline in it than in the previous ones. If you liked it, please leave me a review. They're very helpful. **

**lots of love.**


	6. Where the truth hides

chapter fifth

_where the truth hides_

The rustle of someone's steps woke Caroline up. She tied her hear up into a messy ponytail, rolled herself in a blanket and left the bedroom quietly, so that she didn't wake up Tyler. She had this strange feeling that someone else was in the house. Actually, it wasn't just a feeling. She was sure of that. She went downstairs silently and switched on the light.

'Oh my God', she whispered as she had a look around. There were shards of glass all around the floor. A picture of her and Tyler was laying there too, buried under the glass.

'There's no God, love', said someone when Caroline was about to shout. At the sound of that voice all of the calls for help stack in her throat. She took her eyes off the mess and looked at her visitor. Her heart started to beat fast, like it wanted to get out of her chest. Then it suddenly went silent and a new thought appeared in Caroline's head. Maybe she was dead. Of course she was because all of it just couldn't be happening.

'It's you', she said with a stifled voice as she stared at her interlocutor. 'You'

He smiled but it was the saddest smile ever. Like it was causing him pain.

'Who are you?', asked Caroline, coming a little closer. 'Are you real?'

The stranger ignored her first question and answered the second one.

'Not anymore'

'What happened?'

Caroline looked at him closely. He was a pure elegance, a chill and a mystery. He was wearing a black coat, gray jeans and a dark shirt. His clothes were just as expensive as basic. Care had to take a step back to fight her urge to take them off him.

'Am I dreaming?', she asked another question. Her voice shook a little.

Nik – because she just knew it was him, in the flesh – reached out his hand to her.

'Let me explain, Caroline'

His smile faded. His face was now lightened only with appeal and hope. Something like a prayer, even though God didn't exist for him.

Care grabbed his hand although it seemed absurd and followed him, not saying a word.

'So I was in love with you?', asked Caroline, shaking her head. Klaus looked down.

'I liked to believe you were'

'But you left me', she managed to say, though her voice was shaking. 'Why?'

He sighed and hid his face in his hands. He looked at her through fingers with a inscrutable way.

'I should've know that he would never give you that letter'

'You left me a letter?'

Klaus bit his lip and nodded his head. Care blew a wisp of her hair away from her face and pressed hand against her mouth. She had to do it to stop herself from shouting.

'You need to find it, Caroline. You need to find it and to read it. Promise me you will'

'I promise', she whispered as she clasped his hand tightly. She was afraid of letting him go. She didn't want to lose him again, though he's never been a bigger stranger to her than that night. She trembled as he touched her lips fleetingly.

'That's what you're gonna do, isn't it? You're gonna leave me again'

'Love, I wouldn't do that if I wasn't forced to-'

'But how is that even possible? How could Tyler force you to do anything? You're stronger than him, I know you are'

'But you aren't'

Caroline squinted her eyes and the tears streamed down her face. She didn't understand anything. She was completely helpless. And she had no idea what to do now.

'I have to go', said Klaus suddenly, rising from the bench they were sitting on. Care grabbed his hand to stop him from going away but he was stronger. Their fingers touched for the last time and he was gone.

Caroline knew perfectly where that stupid letter was. She brought it into focus last evening but she was too busy with telling herself that she was doing something right to take it to heart. Tyler was staring at that envelope before she came and then he just slipped it under the closet at the sound of Caroline's voice.

And now she was the one holding it in her hands. She bit the bullet and opened it. She had to finally know the truth. She wanted to believe that after all she would still stay with Tyler. He was safe. He loved her. He would never lie to her…

_Dearest Caroline,_

_You don't understand. And I can't explain. I never knew what to say to you to make you believe me. _

_ I had to leave you and – believe me or not – that was the most horrible nightmare I could ever dream. But when I wake up from it, I swear, I will haunt them all until their end. And then I'll come back to you, I swear. _

_ You see, all that time when we had each other I knew that there was a better man somewhere waiting for you. And I was telling myself that I'll be there for you until he comes along. But only our sweet Tyler appeared. That was the moment when I regretted turning him into one of my hybrid, although I know that if he died, I would never get you. He, however, sees it like a theft. Let it be this way – I stole you and I lost you. _

_I can't tell you much, I don't even know if you're reading this letter. If you are, you surely wonder who the hell am I. Or who I was. I bet you're biting your lip and each one of my dark words reflects in your bright eyes. And, you see, Caroline, I can't tell you much about me. But I can tell you one thing about you. You're mine. Promise you'll remember that. _

_ Perhaps one day we'll find each other again. Perhaps you'll stand right in front of me and you'll catch what's left of me in your gentle smile. All your beauty, strength and light will come back to me. And he will fade away and he'll never force me to hurt you again. _

_ I've left your life. It's time for you to leave mine. Goodbye, Caroline._

_ Always and forever,_

_ Klaus _

Caroline grabbed her throat, not able to breathe. She heard the sky falling down with a crush. She heard blood boiling in her veins. She heard her heartbeat. She heard every word he's ever said to her. She felt the touch of his lips on her forehead and the taste of everything he's ever showed her. She wasn't thinking, she just turned into each one of those stolen memories. She was a pure feeling. Everything inside of her was pulsing, shaking and burning. And when it burnt, when everything went quiet and turned into dust, she was only sure of one thing. She would find him. Even if it means she would lose herself. Even if it means she would die.

Caroline took off the necklace Tyler gave to her before Matt's wedding, she put it on Klaus' letter and she left home. Her eyes were moist.

The sunshine falling into the room through the window woke Tyler up. He smiled, still half in a dream and he reached out his hand, wanting to touch Caroline. To his surprise he found out that he was touching the emptiness. He scrambled to his feet immediately and looked around.

'Caroline?', he called her, looking into the bathroom. She wasn't there. He went to the living room, still calling her name. He went quiet in the moment he saw what the living room looked like. There was glass everywhere, their photos were laying on the floor, buried in it. And then he saw the open letter on the table. Caroline put the necklace Tyler gave to her few days ago on it. He grabbed some chair standing next to him and threw it against the wall. It smashed up into pieces. He wanted to destroy it all, burn down this bloody house.

But instead he just sat down, desperately trying to catch his breath.

The clock was striking another minutes like nothing ever happened.

**So this is my next chapter! (: Hope you enjoyed it! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update it but the school started and I barely have time to catch my breath, to say nothing about writing. Please, leave a review if you read it. As I think I said before, they really mean a lot. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Noemi, she's the one that make me translate my story into English and helped me with finding new readers and for that I wanted to thank her (; You can find her on tumblr: klausloveletters and you can also read her perfect fanfic called ****_One Day_****. **

**lots of love, xxx**


	7. Is it dark enough?

**Here's my next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it (: **

chapter sixth

_Is it dark enough? _

Caroline didn't know where to go. Therefore she was roaming around the town until her own company became entirely onerous. Lost in thoughts, she was analyzing a short list of people from whom she could get all the information she needed. And she needed a lot.

Worrisome problem number one – who was Klaus? She knew that they used to share some weird bond. She suspected why shouldn't she be able to remember him. She realized that she had feelings for him. Each answer, though, brought another question. Caroline wanted to come back to Tyler and to just rain all her doubts on him. She managed to fight that desire, feeling so blocked inside. That guy maybe did love her, maybe he did wish all the best for her but he also did build his _all the best_ on lies. And Care had no clue what would push him to make up all those fairytales. To force somebody to hurt her.

Caroline shook her head, like she wanted to chase away all those thoughts. _Focus_, she thought, _you need to spend the night somewhere, you're exhausted, your mind is a mess_. It calmed her down a little.

Care didn't want to show up at the door of someone who didn't know her vampire side. She remembered perfectly that time in her life when lost and sad vampires appeared there and how they destroyed everything. She didn't want to annoy Bonnie with her presence either. She's probably already left Mystic Falls anyway. As time passed she learnt not to care about vampires. They didn't bring to her anything but darkness. Matt went somewhere along with his wife. It was out of the question that Caroline would be able to call him with tears and torment him with her problems. Damon Salvatore was totally out, he filled her with disgust and surely wasn't able to give any good advice.

Therefore, her only hope was Stefan. Once he promised Caroline to be there for her if she needed something. At the wedding he accidentally said something about don't knowing how was she dealing with something. Maybe he meant that situation with Klaus. Maybe Stefan was her key to finding out the truth.

Until Caroline got to analyze her choice for the second time, she was already under the Salvatore mansion. She took a deep breath, repeated her speech quietly, wiped the tears from her face and knocked the door. At the door stood Elena. She was wearing loose, blue shirt that definitely belonged to Stefan. Her feet were bare and her hair was messy. Caroline must have interfered them with something. She cursed herself in her mind but she didn't have time to puzzle over it.

"Care?" Elena seemed surprised. She squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what the hell was Caroline doing at her door in the middle of the night.

"I need to talk to Stefan. Now" answered Care, not feeling like explaining anything. She didn't have time for it, she needed to act. At any given time she could start yelling and crying and it was the last thing she could let herself do. She had to play it all cool. Before Elena got to answer her, Caroline squeezed past her and run upstairs, to the room where she heard Stefan walking around. Her friend started to scream something to her but she couldn't possibly care less.

"Who is Klaus?" She threw in as she entered the bedroom. Her voice didn't break and it made her satisfied. Salvatore looked at her, highly surprised. Well, apparently her question was on the very top of the list of questions he never expected to hear from her.

"Caroline, is something wrong?" He asked, rising his eyebrows. It was all slowly getting ridiculous.

"Who is Klaus?" She repeated, coming closer to him. "Come on. Tell me."

"Did Tyler tell you?"

Caroline sighed.

"Tell me _what_?"

Stefan looked down. He was now staring at the floor, like he wanted to burn a whole in it and fall down there.

"Stefan!" Care called him to order. He had now no other choice but to face her. He had to tell her the truth.

"Klaus-" He started slowly, selecting the words carefully. "Klaus is someone really unwelcome here."

He approached the door and closed it precisely. He also yelled to Elena that he had to talk with Caroline about something and that she didn't have to worry about them.

"What do you mean _unwelcome_?"

"I don't know how to say it."

"Okay then," said Caroline, trying to calm herself down, "Maybe I'll just ask you a few question and you'll answer them."

Stefan nodded his head, agreeing for it.

"Who was he for me?"

Salvatore swallowed and sighed.

"You were—in love with him."

Caroline felt cold sweat streaming down her spin. She heard it for the second time this night. And for the second time it almost blew her.

"Why don't I remember him?"

"Tyler forced him to make you forget."

"How is it possible that a vampire was able to compell another vampire? I mean, if I were human then okay, I get it. But I'm a vampire and so is Klaus I guess and—"

Stefan interrupted her abruptly.

"Klaus is one of The Originals. From the first generation of vampires. We are all created from his blood. And compelling other vampires—it's just a trick we didn't inherit." He explained, shrugging his shoulders. Caroline opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't find a right answer. She asked another question instead.

"But how Tyler could force an Original to erase my memory?"

"I don't know. None of them would ever tell me. I didn't want to seek after the truth myself either."

"Okay. So I was in love with Klaus who can compell vampires and with whom you didn't really get along and what? What else, Stefan?" Continued Caroline even though her friend wished for her to stop.

"Tyler couldn't let you be with him. Don't get mad, Caroline. Klaus—Klaus messed up our lives. He hurt as all. And you just left with him. And I can't blame you for anything because _I know_ what he's like. I knew him. And everyone deserves a second chance but—" He stopped, like as he hoped that he wouldn't have to end this sentence.

"But?" Provoked him Caroline. Her word sounded dryly and unpleasantly, like a hiss. She didn't want it.

"Look at this from Tyler's point of view. Klaus killed his mother and then took you away from him. It broke him" Explained Stefan. He hesitated for a while, unsure if he should finish this thought but at last he did. "And I know it for sure because I've been there before. When Damon killed Lexie. And then—and then he took Elena and—It can really hurt, Caroline. And I know that you didn't want to hurt Tyler."

"But I did." She said, her eyes no longer staring at Stefan. Her breath stopped before she added: "And I'll do it again."

Then her eyes filled with tears. Salvatore watched the wall of coldness and indifference she build around her falling down. And when it fell there was only Caroline standing in the ruins. That scared, little Caroline he held tightly that day when all that was happening right there was signed. When she learnt that a part of her died and to keep another one alive she had to show her fangs and drink blood. When she cried, not able to understand why all of it happened to her.

Stefan came closer and hugged her tight. She snuggled her face into his shirt and her shoulders were moving up and down to the beat of her sobbing.

"I need to stop crying." She murmured eventually, pulling herself away from his and wiping her face from tears. "I need to talk to Tyler. And I need to find Klaus. And you need to tell me where he is."

"Caroline, I have no idea where he is. I haven't spoken to him ever since the day he's erased your memory."

She wanted to ask how did Klaus feel then but she swallowed that desire and asked instead:

"Where was he then?"

"New Orleans. He told me he'd stay there for a while. He didn't call me anymore. I tried to reach him a few times but he changed his number. All I know for sure is that he's alive. If he was dead, we would all be dead."

Caroline couldn't stop herself from smiling as she heard it. What was that supposed to mean?

"Somehow I don't find it too comforting." She sighed as she hid her face in her hands. Then she just turned around and left. Stefan followed her with his eyes, wondering if she would still want to find Klaus after she got to remember something else than just being in love with him.

When Caroline came back home, Tyler was sitting at the table and staring into emptiness. He didn't even notice her at first; the sound of her steps was the thing that managed to burst him on his thoughts.

"Care, I can explain this." He ensured her, his voice impassive and he wasn't even looking at her. She sat in front of him. She wasn't going to yell at him, she wasn't going to judge him. She only wanted to hear the truth.

"So talk." She encouraged him softly. She was so bloodless.

"When you left town with him—Caroline, I had no idea what to do. You were all I had. I didn't have father and Klaus killed my mom. All I had left was you. You and your promises. And I believed them even though I saw what was he doing with you. He was manipulating you and I didn't want you so—"

"So broken." Finished Caroline as she bit her lip. "You didn't want me so broken."

Tyler nodded, not even trying to deny it.

"So I was trying to make you aware of it. Remind you all the horrible thing that he's done. But you didn't listen. And you ran away with him. Just like it. One day you've just disappeared and you've never come back. I've been searching for you for a year long. And when I've found you, I've had something on him. I knew exactly what he was afraid of, I knew his weaknesses. And I forced that bastard to take your memories away. Because that was the only way—That was the only way to fix you."

The way he was spitting out that words in disgust was deforming his face. His eyes were black and cold, scornful grimace distorted his mouth. Caroline couldn't even look at him. His hate for Klaus seemed rational. Justified. But Care just wasn't able to comprehend how could he talk with such revolt about _her_.

"Once you found us… Did you talk to me? Did you let me explain why I've ran away at the first place?" She asked, her voice breaking. Her mouth was shaking, she was at the verge of tears.

"I couldn't listen to you, Caroline. You told me you loved him. But how could you love him? You've almost died because of him three times before. He hurt as all, each one of us. He killed my mother. And you could just look me into eyes and tell me gladly that you were in love with him. That you were in love with this damn monster."

"Maybe I was."

"He has no idea what love is."

"But I do. And I learnt it from you." Said Caroline as she went up from a chair. "I loved you, Tyler."

He went up as well and now was standing right in front of her.

"Does it mean that you're staying with me now?" He asked as he tried to smile. Caroline shook her head.

"I can't." She whispered. Then something inside of him broke. His face was deformed with anger. He pushed her against the wall and his fist hit the wall only a few millimeters away from her face. The tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Are you staying with me now?!" He yelled, sinking his nails into her shoulders. It hurt like hell.

"No." She said quietly and trenchantly. Then he let her go and took back a couple of steps. He was hardly catching his breath. Caroline passed him by and went towards their bedroom. She took a suitcase and threw into it all her clothes and other stuff she could need while her journey. She felt that this journey would be long and exhausting.

"I'm better than he is, you know that?" Asked Tyler as she stood in front of him with her suitcase. She set her teeth and nodded.

"I know," She answered. "But love isn't where all the good his. Love isn't where all the lights are. Love is where the darkness is. And all of its beauty is about seeing through this darkness."

"Well, isn't what I've done dark enough?"

Caroline smiled sadly.

"Goodbye, Tyler."

**Please, leave a review and tell me what you think (: Thank you for reading! **

**You can always find me on tumblr: romeparistokyo **

**xxx**


	8. My sweet serial killer

**Hello guys! (: It took me so long to update because the chapter you're about to read is the longest I've written so far. There's a lot going on in this story right now and there's a lot going on in school so I barely have time to write, to say anything about translating. However, here it is! Hope you'll enjoy it. Hope you'll leave a review. **

chapter seventh

_my sweet serial killer_

Baby, I'm a sociopath,  
Sweet serial killer.  
On the warpath,  
'Cause I love you,  
Just a little too much.

Caroline heard the sound of the doors she's closed long after she left. Involuntarily she was wondering if Klaus was still able to hear the ones he latched in front of her, forced by Tyler. Did he do it for her sake or for his own? And was he afraid, even a little? Because Caroline was. Like hell.

She went out into darkness and she immersed in it completely. She was all alone now, nobody could help her. She got into car and locked herself in it. Then she just huddled up in her seat. She didn't want to cry anymore, she wanted to do something. Start this damn car, step on the gas and drive forward. Drive, run, until she was back in the arms of the one she was taken from brutally. She belonged to _him_. And that was strange because she could hardly remember his face. And it was also strong, unshaken and beautiful. She belonged to him. He belonged to her. He was somewhere out there, drowning in the same darkness as her. And her duty was to salvage them both from it.

Caroline fixed her hair, took a deep breath and started the car. She turned on the GPS. Hello, New Orleans. Hello, new world. Goodbye, Mystic Falls. Goodbye forever.

The problem with New Orleans was that Caroline has never been there before. She indeed did have the envelope with the address of the bar Klaus was in while writing his letter to her but that address was faint and blurred. The only thing she could decipher was _Bourbon Street_. Obviously, it was also the most useless from all of the things because it was the first one she thought about while hearing the words _New Orleans_. However it limited the range of searching a little, in effect of which Caroline was walking down the Bourbon Street, wondering how to play it all nice.

She was just about to turn left, into some of the smaller streets, in order to find a shop for tourist where she could buy a map when she heard somebody's steps behind her back. They were very quiet and an average human surely wouldn't be able to hear them. It worried her a little so she speeded up. At the exact moment somebody pushed her against the wall of some building and literally pin her to it. Care closed her eyes, she didn't even try to shout.

"Well, well. Look who's finally decided to visit their old friend," she heard a man's voice. She recognized his accent. It was French although she wasn't completely sure. She opened her eyes and looked straight into face of that vampire holding her throat.

"Leave. Me." She hissed as she grabbed his fingers and ripped them off her neck. She sighed with release when the stranger landed hardly on the ground.

"Forgive me, love," he said, standing up and sending her a dazzling smile. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Do I really look like some naïve lady you can eat for lunch on Friday afternoon?" asked Caroline as she fixed the collar of her denim jacket. The stranger started to laugh.

"On the contrary, darling."

"So what was your stupid attack supposed to mean?"

"You're Caroline Forbes, aren't you?", he asked, watching her face changing with amusement.

"I heard about you, here and there." He explained as he approached to her and brushed her hair aside from her face.

"Well, I can't really say the same about you," she said. The tone of her voice was studied, cold and very confident.

"Oh, yes. Excuse my manners," he laughed again. "My name is Alexandre Cartier. I'm sorry, it's just so funny, playing the same scene for the second time."

"So I know you?" Caroline wanted to make it sure.

"Nothing special, sweetheart. Everybody knows you here. You've got a pretty good reputation, to be honest. Like the royal family. Or the Original one."

His last sentence caught her attention.

"The Original family. You know Klaus." She said, not able to stop herself from smiling. Suddenly she was no longer scared of that blond vampire with his eyes so pretty. Now he turned out to be Klaus' mate. Really, she couldn't get attacked by a better person.

"Once again, nothing special, love."

"Okay. Tell me now where is he."

"Whoa, slow down a little, miss Caroline. Maybe you didn't conclude that from my charming smile but we have some rules around here. Procedures," answered Alexandre, trying to look mysterious. "It's nothing frightening, don't worry. Let me just suggest to you that to find all the information you're looking for, you need to be like the dear, little Caroline we all know. And our dear Caroline… Well, she was hot." He finished, putting his hand on her ass. Caroline slapped him and walked away as fast as she could. He followed her immediately, just like she thought.

"So Klaus is a founder of New Orleans?" asked Caroline as she got out of the changing room, wearing only a short, red dress.

"Yeah, yeah. You can find his traces everywhere in this city." Answered Alexandre, paying more attention to her legs than to her questions.

"Tell me, why do we need all this tomfoolery with fancy dresses and hairstyles?" Care fixed her hair and smiled to her reflection in a mirror.

"Darling, don't get mad, for me you will _always_ look sweet. But we're going to a party and your tourist outfit… ugh, just won't look good on you."

"I don't have any time for partying. Besides, if I am really some kind of a celebrity around here, shouldn't I be hosting the party with somebody, I don't know, more dignified?" She eyed him up unfavorably. Alex rolled his eyes.

"We're not going to dance there. It's not like I was happy about it or something. Actually, I'm kinda lamenting over it, if you know what I mean."

"So what are you planning?"

He smiled.

"Marcel is one of Klaus' most trusted people. He would _never_ tell you where he is. So I'm gonna have a little chat with him which will give you an hour to find information about your dearest, sweetest, lov—"

"An hour?" Caroline interrupted him, rising her eyebrow. "How am I gonna do it in an hour?"

"Oh, sweetie, you're gonna have to try hard. That psycho will probably make himself a drink out of me much sooner. And an hour, therefore, is quite optimistic." Said Cartier, brushing his bangs aside of his forehead.

"Why are you even helping me, huh?" Asked Caroline as she went back to the changing room.

"It's a long story. I just owe you something, that's all you need to know."

Caroline checked herself in a mirror for the last time. She was looking perfect. Here beautiful blond curls were splaying her back and shoulders, like an aureole or a coat woven from light. Her lashes were so long and thick that somebody could find it hard for her to blink. There was a delicate smile dancing on her lips. It looked honest even though it wasn't honest at all. She was too scared to laugh genuinely.

She looked down to watch her perfect shoes and when she looked up again she was no longer the only one reflecting in the mirror. There was also Alexandre.

"Ready?" He asked, grinning as usually. It was slowly starting to irritate Caroline even though she knew that she should be grateful to him. After all, he was the one willing to help her.

"Like never before."

His face was telling her that he appreciated her answer. She figured out that that was the thing he enjoyed about her. Her courage. He wouldn't want to help the coward who would waste such a perfect chance to find out the truth. Therefore she had to be brave. Strong. Fearless.

Alexandre helped her with putting on her new, black, leather jacket.

"Cartier—," she started, her eyes staring at him intensely. "Listen, did Klaus tell you anything that night when he arrived in here, after he erased my memory? Did he tell you why did he do that?"

"That guy should win an award in being _The Most Mysterious Guy Ever_, Caroline. He never explains anything. He just arrived in here, killing people, you know, and he was completely out of control for a month."

"Mysterious murders in New Orleans," Caroline still remembered the headline that was on the covers of every newspaper for a long time a few months ago. Cartier nodded his head.

"Yeah, that would be Klaus' doing. Finally Marcel brought his sister Rebekah here and they moved God knows where."

"Klaus has a sister?" Caroline raised her eyebrow.

"Mm, and she happens to be very sexy. But she's a bitch, you know. High and blond, strongest girl in the world, holding with her older bro who gives her everything she wants."

Caroline narrowed her eyes, trying to remind herself the girls he met that night when she lost control at Matt's wedding.

"Is it possible that Klaus sent her to—I don't know, check up on me?" She asked. Alex could hear hope in her voice. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess."

"So I think I saw her."

"So shouldn't you find out something more then, huh?" He smiled, nudging her friendly. He was desperately trying to make it all fun, just for a while.

"I didn't really have a chance. First she almost strangled me and then she just disappeared. She's none too delicate."

Alexandre smiled at one of his memories.

"Obviously," he admitted. Then the smile left his face and he looked at Caroline seriously. "Care, I didn't tell you one thing."

"Okay, now I'm starting to worry."

"The room you need to find is upstairs the bar. There will be two or three security guards. They are there to make sure nobody enters it. They're human but on vervain. So you are gonna have to kill them."

Caroline stepped back, she wasn't smiling anymore. Her face was inscrutable.

"No," she protested firmly, shaking her head. "No way in hell. I can't kill people to get what I want, I—"

"Didn't stop you before."

Caroline swallowed hardly, her eyes staring at the floor.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

Alex sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"Listen, if you want to find Klaus, you are going to have to do things you despise. You're gonna have to kill, you're gonna have to lie, you're gonna have to _enjoy _it. Because that moments will be the only ones that will feel good. The only ones when you'll have control. If you want to find yourself in the dark, you need to be surrounded by it," he said, grabbing her shoulders and looking into her eyes. She didn't have another choice, she had to look back at him finally. "Now tell me… Do you still want to find him?"

The corner of his lips raised. He was enjoying her hesitate, playing with it.

"Yes," answered Caroline, proud of just how firmly it sounded. "And I will. And I really don't care where does it take me as long as it takes me to him."

Cartier snorted but it wasn't scornful. She impressed him. Yeah, that was it.

"Okay then, miss Forbes. Shall we?"

The bar was full of vampires. They were everywhere, pouring the blood into their glasses straight from their victims' veins. Caroline could now feel just how thirsty she was and she held her breath to stifle it.

She noticed that a few persons was staring at her with interest. Alex told her before that they might know her here so it didn't make her worry. She was just moving forward, trying not to fall. Alexandre ordered her to wear those unbelievable heels and now it was hard for her to walk. She was faltering although ever since she's become a vampire she really couldn't complain about her balance. Besides she always knew how to move – after all, she was a cheerleader. For walking so unsteadily she could only blame herself, not her heels. She was worried that something could go wrong. She was worried that she's signed death over someone. And, most of all, she was worried that she would find something that would scare her away and put her off the searching. The searching that was all she had left. If she gave it up, she wouldn't even know where to go.

"The guy singing on the stage is Marcel," whispered Cartier to her ear. Caroline immediately started to pay more attention to that dude. However, through all the smoke it was hard to notice him. She narrowed her eyes.

"He's not an Original, is he?" she asked, tilting her head. Alex laughed shortly.

"There is only four of them, the Originals. Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah… And Kol."

His voice shook a little while saying the last name.

"So he's not stronger than us, right?"

Cartier shrugged his shoulders.

"Guy's a psycho. But never mind. The only thing that matters is you getting upstairs. And to get upstairs… you need to get on the stage."

Caroline opened her mouth but she closed it immediately, not able to find the right words.

"Come on," rushed her Alex. "Show your mettle! Think about it like about a bet."

Care looked at him. He wasn't afraid so she shouldn't be either. With a smile on her face she elbowed her way through the crowd and boom, there she was, standing on the stage. She only got to look around the bar before Marcel noticed that he was no longer the only person up there. He stopped singing and eyed her up. He approached to her, even closer than she wished, holding his microphone.

"Well, well, have a look at this cute lady," he said, taking his eyes from her and looking at his audience. He was mumbling. He was drunk. Perhaps he didn't even recognize her. Caroline touched his face fleetingly. Everybody started to yell and applaud.

"My name is Caroline Forbes," she said, grabbing the microphone. "But some of you knew that already."

"And what do you want?" asked Marcel, his eyes staring at her intensely. Clearly he did know her. He was only trying to remind himself _how_ did he got to know her. Caroline knew that it wasn't too hard to find out and that he would do it soon. And who knew how would he react.

"I wanted to sing."

"Singing is my pigeon, darling."

"Okay then. Follow me and I'll show you what's my pigeon… darling," she whispered, stroking his face. Then she put her hand on his chest.

"But you know that too… You know me, don't you?"

Not waiting for his answer, she sent him the most seductive of all her seductive looks and left the stage very slowly. On her way she took off her leather what made everybody yell and whistle even louder. She noticed Alex coming on the stage and stopping Marcel from following her. She made a whore out of herself but somehow she couldn't stop smiling. Besides, she knew perfectly that it wouldn't be the worst thing she would do tonight.

_"Caroline, love… Have Marcel managed to tire you already?" Asked Klaus, following her in the hallway. Caroline couldn't see him but she almost felt him smiling. _

_ "I'm not tired," she said as she turned around to look at him. In a second he was there, so close to her that she was literally breathing his air. She pulled him by his hair because he still wasn't standing close enough. Their lips met. His tasted like blood, fresh and seasoned with the most excellent alcohol. She kissed it out of him and looked up to see him. She wasn't sure if she's ever seen something that dangerous before. She wasn't sure if the danger has ever tasted so well before. _

_ "I'm thirsty," she murmured._

_ "You're high on blood," he answered, pulling her away to open the door of their room. _

_ "I'm high on love," she said as she pulled him back in. _

Caroline remembered this hallway. Or, actually – she didn't remember it, she only felt the memory of it somewhere in the darkest pit of her memory. She couldn't get any near to it but she was sure it was there.

She could also smell the odor of two people Cartier told her about before. Security guards. And she was thirsty.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she said, approaching to them with a smile on her face. They were both staring at her suspiciously. They were both about to shoot her in case she wanted to get into the room. Caroline bit her lips. It was naïve to think that they wouldn't be armed with something.

"It's you," one of them whispered, opening his eyes widely. Care shrugged her shoulders.

"It's me," she smiled, beaming with joy.

The guy looked at his mate and shook his head.

"We can't hurt her, Klaus will—"

"I don't care," answered the second one, almost pulling the trigger. "Marcel told us to kill anyone who would get here."

"Rob, we can't hurt her!"

Caroline rolled her eyes.

"You're so sweet," she said to the one who tried to protect her. "And I really wish I didn't have to do this—"

"Do what?", he asked as he stepped back a little. His back hit the wall. Caroline showed her fangs and reached their throats.

She could still hear their blood, trickling from their open veins. She removed it from her face and ripped the lock of the door to get inside the room.

It was huge and very dark. The darkness didn't leave it even after she turned all the lights on. It was also freezing in there. Caroline rubbed her shoulders with her hands to warm herself a bit and she entered the room. She looked around, so her eyes could sweep it.

The bed was made as if anyone has ever slept in it. In front of it was a huge closet in which – as she suspected – was hidden everything. The drawers of the bedside cabinet were all empty. There was nothing on the floor either.

Caroline opened the wardrobe to check if she was right. And she joyfully stated that she was.

In one of its chamber there were clothes. She looked through them quickly. Part of them was his and other part was hers. She took one of his coats out of the clothespin and put it on. It smelled like her dreams. She just wanted to wrap herself in it and wait until that smell would materialize him right in front of her. But it was never that simple, never that easy.

When Caroline opened one of the lower drawers, lots of paper sheets spilled out of it.

There weren't any photos she expected to find. Obviously. Nik wasn't a photographer type. He was a painter. And he wasn't taking photos of her, he was sketching her. And he left those sketches behind, right there, just like he left her behind, in Mystic Falls.

Caroline looked through his dusty drawings of her. Her laughing, her crying. Her looking down, her looking up to the skies. Sleeping, dancing, staring into the mirror. In fancy dresses, in his coat… Completely naked. Care wasn't an artist, she didn't know much about art but she did see something in the way he drew her. There it was, in each of all graphite lines that were composing a picture of her. Like he did know her, like he knew her by rote. Knew her better than she knew herself. Every centimeter of his body. Every light in her eyes, every smile, every tear. And that was a little terrifying because she wasn't holding the sketches of herself, she was holding _herself_ in flesh. Dead but alive. Lost but now found.

When she finally managed to put the drawings aside, she found letters. None of them was written to her, though. And none of them was written to him. There were letters of accidental people, some of them so old that they were almost crumbling under her touch. Letters of two lovers, two friends, two cousins…

"Letters of his victims," said suddenly someone behind her back, bursting on her thoughts. Care dropped the envelopes as if they burnt her. She turned around, her heart beating so loud.

"My name is Kol Mikealson," said a man who was now leaning against the door nonchalantly. "And you, Caroline… I see that you still like to mess around, don't you?"

**I am so glad to write about Kol right now, aww! **

**Love,**

**Sarah. **


	9. Forgive me Father for what I have sinned

**A/N: **I would like to thank you all for your lovely reviews (: They really mean a lot and encourage me to write more and more and more. I also wanted to dedicate this chapter to Laura because she made this beautiful trailer for me and I'm so grateful for that. You can find her on tumblr – **kcaccola15 **and youtube – **LauraxEliz. **Oh, and I want to thank **bellarose-riddle **for her wonderful reviews :D Hope you'll all like this chapter, guys. Let me know what you think about it.

* * *

chapter eighth

_Forgive me Father for what I have sinned…_

And I'm running and I'm running and I'm just for fun,  
Beat 'em up, beat 'em up, one by one,  
Is he the live or die boy? Is he the live or die?

So tonight, are you gonna be my soldier?  
Are we gonna be Bonnie and Clyde?  
Is he the live or die boy? Is he the live or die?

* * *

Before Caroline had a chance to answer, Kol continued with a sarcastic smirk on his face.

"So what do you think? Scared much? Coming back already to your lovely, little boyfriend from Mystic Falls?"

Care snorted.

"I would _never_ come back to Tyler," she said with emphasis. "And no, I'm not afraid. We all do horrible things, especially when we turn off our feelings."

Kol sniggered.

"When we turn our feelings off? That's funny," he murmured while approaching to Caroline. "My brother never turns his feelings off… He likes his life the way it is… Intense. He loves to experience every death, to take away somebody's breath, he likes the sound of somebody's last heartbeat. And if he's capable of such things with his feelings on… You can only imagine what could he do without them."

Caroline started at that thought and she opened her mouth to answer him somehow but he forestalled her again, saying:

"But you've never really cared about it, have you, darling?", he bended bowed to pick up the drawing she had dropped before.

"Leave me alone," she snarled at him. "You have no idea what are you talking about."

"I don't?" he asked with his smirk still dancing on his lips. "As far as I know… I have even more ideas than you do."

"Tell me where is Klaus," she ordered, ignoring his stupid comment. The fact that everybody was clearly afraid to hurt her was only giving her strength.

"Well, that is a good one. You know, I've been looking for him myself lately. I even came here to find out something new… Not like it was even possible to find out something from that bunch of idiots," he snorted as he rolled his eyes. He was still rummaging through all the drawers with some purpose Caroline couldn't figure out.

"And the rest of your siblings? Can't you just call them?" She asked with her voice more gentle now. Full of hope. Kol shook his head and looked back at her.

"Elijah stopped playing in this years ago. And our dearest Rebekah…" here he stopped to sigh histrionically. "Rebekah follows Klaus everywhere, like some faithful puppy. Which means finding her will be just as hard as finding him."

"So, what's your plan? Please, tell me that you actually have one."

But Kol wasn't really listening to her anymore. Something in the pocket of one of Klaus' coat absorbed his attention completely.

"Ah! I knew I'd find it here!"

With a broad smile on his face he turned to Caroline, holding something silver in his hands. A bracelet. Beautiful one, studded with little crystals and each of its link was an eternity symbol.

"May I?" He asked, looking meaningfully at her wrist. Caroline reach out her hand, letting him fasten it there. Then she looked at it, not able to stop her curiosity.

"If I'm right, it was his gift for your seventeenth birthday," explained Kol. _Maybe he's not all that bad_, Caroline thought, analyzing his behavior. Maybe he did wanted to help her after all.

"It's really pretty," she said as she touched it fleetingly with an other hand. "But let me ask you again: how are you going to find Klaus?"

"The easiest way. By Katherine Pierce, my darling."

"Wait… Katherine as Katherine the doppelganger? How-?" Care raised her eyebrows as she still didn't understand his thinking. Kol shrugged his shoulders.

"Katherine has been running away from my brother for like a thousand years. And to run from him, she always needs to know exactly where he is. She always keeps her ear to the ground and we are going to take advantage of it," he said, clearly very proud of his plan. Caroline though wasn't that sure of its perfection.

"Great. And how are you going to find Katherine?"

Kol smirked again.

"We're going to need your darling friend's blood… Elena's blood. As you happened to notice before, they are the doppelgangers. It's even better than if they were sisters. Elena is nothing more than blood from Katherine's blood, purest, not diluted. Which is going to lead us straight to our lovely Kath," he curled his lip, suddenly reminding himself of something. "Well, maybe that's not the only thing we need. We're probably going to need a witch… But you have some connections, don't you?"

"If we need a witch anyway, wouldn't it be easier to just take one of his things and put a location spell?" asked Caroline as she indicated him the closet. Kol shook his head.

"I'm afraid it wouldn't, darling. My brother kind of… blocked all the location spells. As if he had his own magic or something. Somebody must be helping him. Somebody really hot on it."

"Is that even possible?"

"I don't know! And that, among other things, I want to find out. No take yourself some souvenirs and come. I have a feeling that we're gonna have so much fun together."

He winked at her and then disappeared behind the bedroom's door.

* * *

Somehow Caroline managed to make Kol let her say goodbye to Alex. Admittedly The Original didn't gave her enough time to buy him a drink or something pretty, just a few minutes while he was packing all the stuff to his car, but Caroline was grateful anyway.

"I wanted to thank you," she said to Alexandre, as she leaned against Kol's car. Alex sent her a wide smile.

"It's really nothing. As I said, I owed you one."

She bit her lip and nodded.

"I'm gonna have to ask Klaus about it if I ever find him. It must be a really good story," she laughed.

"_When _you find Klaus," Alex corrected her as he raised his eyebrows. Caroline wrinkled hers.

"There was no such word as _if _in the old Caroline's dictionary," he explained, winking at her but then she got more serious.

"What was she like? The old Caroline?" She asked, her voice trembling now.

"Magnificent. Strong. Fearless. She knew what she wanted and there was nothing to stop her from getting it."

"And what did she want?"

He smiled.

"Klaus."

Caroline nodded her head. She expected an answer like that. She opened the car's door as she heard Kol's impatient sighs.

"Bye, Caroline," said Alex, waving at her as he was leaving. "When you find Klaus… Ask him to tell you the story about Genevieve Forbes. I think you're gonna like it."

Caroline opened her mouth to ask him what did he mean but before the words left her throat he was already gone.

* * *

"So we're going back to Mystic Falls?" Asked Caroline as she put her feet on the dashboard and had herself another fry. Kol take a sip of cola through a straw.

"If our darling blood bag indeed still lives there, then yes."

"Of course she does. She would never leave that hole," snorted Caroline as she licked the salt from her fingers.

"Neither would you if you didn't meet my brother."

Care nudged him so hard that the cola spilled all over his knees. She laughed as she heard him cursing and trying to wipe it off without taking his eyes off the road.

"Tell me, how are you going to make Bonnie help us?" She asked, sending him a look hinting like she highly doubted if he would succeed. The corner of his lips raised in a smile.

"Look at me and tell me how is it possible for a woman to resist my charming requests?" He winked at her lovingly. Caroline rolled her eyes.

"You think you're that hot?"

"I think I'm even more than hot."

"And yet you happen to travel the world alone, looking for your older brother."

"I'm not alone."

"I'm not into you."

"Trust me, I know."

Caroline sighed. Another minute, another hint at something she didn't remember. _When I finally find Klaus_, she thought, _I'm gonna kill him. Right after I'll rip all those deliciously smelling clothes off him and find out how would my last flashback end." _

* * *

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. Welcome to Mystic Falls!" Kol's voice, just as cheerful and optimistic as always, woke Caroline up. She wiped her eyes and looked through the window. They had already passed the welcome sign and Care sighed, reminding herself of just how much she wished she would never have to come back here.

"Stefan will kill me if he sees me at his door again."

"Well then, better pray for Stefan to be away."

Caroline wrinkled her eyebrows.

"Why? Are you scheming something ignoble?"

"I'm just having a plan B," Kol answered. The Salvatore mansion had already appeared on the horizon. Care felt this unpleasant thrill streaming down her spin.

"Are you gonna let me in on it?" She asked as she didn't really mind while in reality she was filled with the worst predictions. He shook his head.

"If you're strong, we won't need it."

"I am strong," she said firmly. She had a few other adjectives welling up on her tongue. Fearless. Ageless. Beautiful, full of light… She had no idea why those but she liked them. She was putting her faith in them.

"We're about to find out," Kol answered as he stopped the car and opened its door.

* * *

Kol's plan, just as all his life, was based on a total straightforwardness. He was never playing in scheming, he was doing and saying everything not to mince matter. Caroline had no idea how effective it was because all her life she was involved in complicated plans and stories. She didn't know anything else and even if she did, she didn't remember.

She took a deep breath before she knocked on the Salvatore's door again. She was worried that they would meet Damon. Damon would surely slam the door in front of their noses and start scheming something mean against them, not even trying to understand them. On the contrary, Stefan would be trying to understand way too much. And Elena was too weak to face them, therefore she would do whatever they would ask her for, without causing any problems. Well, at least that was what Caroline was hoping for. However, before she managed to fight all her fears and doubts, impatient Kol was already banging on the door.

To their relief, the person who opened them was Elena.

"Caroline? What are you doing here?" She asked, taking her eyes off Caroline and fixing them on Kol instead immediately, as if she was trying to understand something. "What are you doing here with _him_?"

Before Caroline got to put her explanation into words, she already heard Kol saying:

"I'm glad to see you too, darling. Nothing personal, we only need a drop of your blood."

Elena smiled.

"No way. I'm not letting you in."

Then Caroline just walked in. Without thinking she grabbed Elena's throat and she pulled her against the wall. Gentle enough to not hurt her and yet hard enough to scary her.

"Let him in," she ordered. Her friend was almost stinking with vervein. The compulsion didn't work on her but the strength did very well. Elena cleared her throat as she pressed her hand against Caroline's which were literally tightened around her neck and she wheezed:

"Come on in."

Caroline let her go and she stepped back a little. Kol accepted Elena's invitation with a wide smile on his face. He pulled a flask for blood out of his pocket and threw it to Care. Then he gently grabbed the doppelganger's wrist, exposed his fangs and sank them in her vein. She groaned in pain. It was hard for Caroline to just listen to this but she approached to them to let the blood pour into the flask. Then somebody plunged into the hall and pushed her against the wall with supernatural strength. She didn't feel the pain, only the smell of blood. She didn't know whose though. She didn't really have time to think about it. No while Kol was screaming her name and she heard the sound of a wild tussle, reaching from the other part of the room. She raised her head and murmured:

"No… No, no, no!" She kept saying, wondering what to do. Damon was holding a stake in his hand, so close that it was almost sinking in Kol's heart. The Original was cursing and hissing, trying to get out of the trap. Elena was standing aside, stroking her hurt wrist and staring at Caroline as if she was truly afraid of her.

Care wasn't able to think clearly. All she knew was that if she let Kol die, she would lose her only way to find Klaus. And she had to find it, she promised herself. And that was a promise stronger than blood. Stronger than any of that warm feelings she's ever felt about Elena.

She ran to her quickly and before anybody managed to stop her, she could already taste her blood on her tongue.

"Caroline! Caroline, you are not that person!" Yelled Elena, desperately trying to break free. But Care was stronger.

"Touch him and I'll kill her," she looked at Damon. He froze, still holding the stake dangerously close to Kol.

"You wouldn't do that," he said disrespectfully. Caroline, though, could call his bluff. He was testing her.

"Yeah? Why not?" She asked as she sank her fangs in Elena's veins again. Damon cursed as he pulled Kol away and he grabbed her, clearly finding her more dangerous. That was his mistake. The Original tightened his hand around the doppelganger's neck at once, smiling widely.

"If you kill me… She'll die along with me," Caroline wheezed, trying to push his hand with a stake away from her so it didn't hurt her.

"Are you crazy?" Damon hissed into her face. Care smiled as she licked Elena's blood from her lips.

"Maybe so."

She looked at Kol with her eyes saying _'do it!'_. He let Elena go, ran to Damon and broke his neck. Salvatore fell down inertly. Caroline watched as her all covered with blood friend bended down crying. And then as she looked at up her and stared straight into her eyes in disbelief.

"Why?" She asked. Her voice was choked with tears.

"You lied to me," Caroline whispered with a whining, childish voice. "It's probably me who should be asking why."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kol backing off and leaving the house. She started at the sound of slamming door.

"We just wanted to do the right thing! And Klaus isn't—Klaus isn't right! He's bad to the bone, he's incapable of love and caring and look what he's done to you! Look what you've become, Caroline! Look at me, look at yourself, look at Damon—" Elena stopped to catch her breath.

"Well, maybe I don't really want to know what is good for me," said Care. Her voice was cold and confident. Without any emotions. And very, very dry.

"You can't do this. You can't, don't you get it? Caroline, you can't lose yourself just because—"

Caroline laughed, pressing her hands against her mouth as for a prayer.

"Maybe this is exactly what I am."

Elena shook her head.

"No. The real Caroline Forbes would never leave town with Klaus. She wouldn't kill people. She wouldn't hurt her friends only in order to find him!"

"I'd rather burn with him in hell than live a sweetest life with friends like you. And if what you're saying about 'the real Caroline Forbes' is true… Maybe it's even better for me to not to be myself."

After that, she turned around and left. She removed the blood from her lips with her fingers.

* * *

**A/N**: Any thoughts? Feel free to share them (: I'd love to know what you think.


	10. Dear Readers

Dear readers,

I am sorry to say that but I don't really feel like writing this story lately - I kind of lost my inspiration, that's all. Promise I'll be back to finish it, just not yet.

Anyways, thank you guys for reading, faving and reviewing. It really means the world to me, all your support.

If you enjoy my writing, please check out my other story - **And He Called Darkness Light**. This is the one I'm going to work on now.

Love,

Sara.


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